Until Your Breathing Stops
by I'mfriendswiththemonster
Summary: When San and Dean finally find their father, who said he had been on his own? Alison joins the boys on their hunt for answers and who said it was going to be a smooth ride? Eventual ?/OC Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC


**AN: This is my 6****th**** story now and you'd think I'd have got the hang of first chapter, but alas, I cannot say I'm confident with this one yet. Anyhow… Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 – Nice to meet you…<strong>

She was well used to pressure. An ordinary person would be in a panic at being tasked with collecting bandages and a shit-ton of painkillers ASAP, but it was second nature to her. She was more concerned about grabbing a burger on the drive out of town since she hadn't eaten at all since breakfast.

She effortlessly manoeuvred the paper shopping bag into the crook of her arm and drew the key she had swiped off the motel's front desk from her jeans pocket, quietly sliding it into the lock. She paused a moment - she had been told almost too many stories about the boys that she felt like she knew them already.

The cool metal of the key was starting to become uncomfortable grasped between her fingers and with a sigh, she twisted her hand and entered the dim room.

Immediately she was greeted with the sight of Sam breaking away from what seemed to be a very emotional hug with John and Dean drawing his gun and aiming at her chest. Undeterred, she strolled over to the small kitchen area and dumped the shopping bag on the counter. She turned just in time to see John pulling the gun away from Dean and two pairs of eyes silently accusing her of an unknown crime.

John, pulling himself together from the uncharacteristic display of emotion that she seemed to have walked in on, stepped forward to stand next to her. He was taking his time in explaining her presence and why he wasn't shocked a random woman had walked in on their little family reunion.

She rolled her eyes at their tearstained faces, you'd think someone had died! Reaching into the bag behind her, she took out a silver flask. Almost lazily, she flicked them all with holy water, satisfied when nothing happened.

After giving her a nod of almost praise, John finally spoke, his voice authoritative and deathly quiet. "Boys, this is Allison, she's been helping me with my little demon problem." He turned to her and gave a small smile, "Allison, these are my boys."

Her nose wrinkled slightly at the use of her full name but other than that she remained silent, contempt to just observe for now. Sam was still digesting the information, too confused to pass comment. He was a lot taller than she had expected and a lot younger too. For two brothers she thought they really were different, instead of being calm like Sam, Dean's hackles had already raised and he was pointing an accusing finger at the two of them.

"What the hell is she doing with you?" He looked between them. "So you let some random girl come with you, but not your own sons?"

John held up his hand, silencing Dean, contemplating an answer, but before he could even open his lips, she stepped forwards, having just got a really bad feeling. She looked at John, her uncertainty written all over her face. "You did remember to put the salt down as soon as the boys got back, right?"

There was a moment where no one moved, before John scrambled for the salt in the weapons bag. Apparently, they were too late, because that second the door flew open and some invisible force threw John into the wall behind him.

She lunged for the weapons bag first and was immediately struck across the face by, judging from the immediate scratches she felt stinging her face, a viscous set of claws. The assault was swiftly followed by a shove that resulted in her falling to the floor. One shadow demon approached John, while the other moved around the room until it found Sam, who received a similar blow as he was flung to the opposite side of the room. Dean, having a bit more time to prepare, already had a knife in his hands. He jabbed blindly for a moment before being pounced on and swept off his feet.  
>Over by the kitchen counters, John was pinned down by the first Daeva. They could all hear his cries of pain and the slicing of his flesh as the Daeva ripped his chest, tearing into his clothes and straight through to his skin.<p>

Obviously Meg, the demon Sam and Dean were supposed to have taken care of earlier, was managing to control the Daevas attacking them. Daevas were shadow demons, invisible, with the only way to identify them their shadows. The same type of shadows that were currently flickering across the walls of the motel room.

In a moment of foolishness, Allison stood up and tried to move the shadow demon off a groaning Dean by guessing where it roughly was as throwing herself at it. There was a slashing sound and she cried out, landing unsteadily on her feet close to Dean. She just managed to kick the weapons bag in Sam's direction before she was thrown down, becoming the Daeva's next object of interest. She cried out again when it started to attack her.

Having just been freed by her quick attempt at distraction, Dean was just visible out of the corner of her eye as he crawled towards a rather occupied Sam. The youngest Winchester was already scrambling around in the bag for a weapon they could use against the invisible creatures. She watched him for a moment, before he shouted to them all, "Shut your eyes!" He quickly drew a flare from the folds of the bag and held it in the air. "These things are shadow demons, so let's light 'em up!" With a flick of his hand, he lit the flare and threw it across the room. Instantly, the room was filled with a brilliant white light that really was blinding. Allison clenched her eyes shut as the Daeva's shadows disappeared, the room starting to fill with smoke.

Having just been attacked, Allison took a deep breath and relaxed for a moment, before she felt a hand reach out, trying to reach her, thankful of the additional help, she held her hand forwards. The hand managed to haul her to her feet and as she clung to who must have been Sam, they both managed to make it out of the room.

Once they were in the light of the corridor, she slowly lifted her hand from where it had been pressed into her side to examine the rather large gash the Daeva had inflicted on her. It hurt like a bitch but it was nothing a couple of stitches and a bottle of jack couldn't fix.

They were all still coughing their lungs up from the smoke they had inhaled from the flare and by the time they were out of the motel, they were only just about capable of speech. Sam was the first to make it to the car and after leaning her against the Impala, was already dumping the bags in the backseat, working out what they needed to do as he went, "All right, come on. We don't have much time. As soon as the flare's out, they'll be back."

"Wait, wait, wait! Sam, wait." Dean waited for Sam's silence then turned to John. "Dad, you can't come with us."

John was already resigned to the fact and it was written all over his face. Even she knew it was the sensible thing to do. Unfortunately Sam was letting his emotions get in the way and was already protesting without really thinking about it. "What? What are you talking about? We should stick together. We'll go after those demons-"

"Sam! Listen to me! We almost got Dad killed in there." He jabbed his hand in the direction of the still-glowing windows of the motel room. "Don't you understand? They're not gonna stop. They're gonna try again. They're gonna use us to get to him. I mean, Meg was right. Dad's vulnerable when he's with us." Dean took a deep breath, admitting what he must have been in denial about for a while, "He—he's stronger without us around." He looked across at her and John and came to a sudden realisation. "That's why Allison's with him - she doesn't make him vulnerable. She's not his family."

She nodded, "It's your best option." She pushed off the Impala and tried to step forwards, but her side was painful. If it hadn't have been for Dean's reflexes she would have landed on her face. "Crap." She winced and once she was upright, lifted her hand again. They were all looking at the gash on her stomach and she was starting to realise it was deeper that she had originally thought.

John looked at her, concerned, but continued to try and dissuade his son. "Sammy, this fight is just starting. And we are all gonna have a part to play. For now, you've got to trust me, son." He glanced at her again before his gaze settled on Sam. "Okay, you've gotta let me go. And you're gonna have to take her with you. I'll have to drive and she needs that cut sorted out."

That was not an option. "What? You're joking, right?" She shook her head incredulously. "What about you? You've just got some pretty big battle scars as well." She feebly tried to play her own injury down. "This is just a scratch!"

"Sorry, but Dad's right, I can patch you up while Dean drives. It's your best option." Sam echoed her words from not even thirty seconds ago.

She nearly growled, but knew she had to go with the boys, John wanted them protected and it was the least she could do for him after all he'd done for her. Despite his careless tendencies when he was with his children, she trusted his judgement for now. She wrinkled her nose, but gave in. "Yes, Sir." She paused for a moment and reached into the back pocket of her jeans. Once she had fished her mobile out, she threw it to John, who just about caught it. "Three days. Then when that rings, you'll tell me where you are."

John gave her a small nod. "Three days."

Satisfied, she hobbled over to the Impala and leant on the edge of the hood. From what she had gathered, the boys had been looking for their Father for months and now they had to just let him go. She watched as they stood in silence, before saying their goodbyes. It was not until John was climbing into his truck that was parked further down the alley that he turned around and called out to them. "Be careful, boys. Look after them, McCarthy."

The use of her surname highlighted just how serious he was. She gave him a mock salute before sliding into the backseat of the Impala. It was a couple of moments before the boys joined her, Sam slipping into the back with her, first aid kit tucked under his arm. They watched John's truck drive away around the corner as she grabbed a bottle of painkillers and chugged a good few down, not missing the look Sam and Dean shared through the rear-view mirror. She was sure she was in for some sort of interrogation sooner or later.

Dean started the engine and, remembering what would be on their tail soon, sped off quickly, leaving Meg behind them.

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><p><strong>AN: I'm really interested to see what this story turns out like. I don't really have a fixed direction, but that makes writing this even more exiting.<strong>

**Please let me know what you think and I'd love to hear your suggestions.**


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